Vitsebsk
Regional Court upheld the decision by Pershamaiski District Court to fine Siarhei
Kavalenka, activist of the Conservative Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front,”
1 million rubles on disorderly conduct charges.

Siarhei
Kavalenka tried to prove his innocence both during the trial on March 26 in Pershamaiski
District Court of Vitebsk, and later in the Regional Court. However, Judge Iryna
Smaliakova of the Regional Court upheld the decision by Judge Valiantsina
Kismiaroshkina of Pershamaiski District Court. The Court implicitly accepted
the facts contained in the police report. It said that Kavalenka used obscene language
towards a police patrol, after he reportedly was seen walking on the road.

The
activist told in the courtroom that after a snowfall there were no sidewalks in
the street. Another claim by the police was the absence of a flicker. But it is
not necessary to carry them in the city.

However, on
April 16 the Inspection of Corrections of Pershamaiski district issued a
warning to the activist for a traffic violation recorded in police reports. Siarhei
Kavalenka has been on a preventive register n after his release from prison No.
19 in Mahiliou last September. And now that the Regional Court dismissed the
appeal, it is likely that a second warning is going to be addressed, for
disorderly conduct, a fact which Kavalenka categorically denies. And after a
third warning he may be subjected to preventive supervision, which restricts
the freedom of movement and the use of leisure time.

According
to Siarhei Kavalenka, police authorities attempt to limit his personal freedom.
And this happened last year, when the activist was accused of violations of the
sentence-related restrictions, home arrest, awarded for hanging a white-red-white
flag on a Christmas tree. At the initiative of the Inspection of Corrections the
activist was brought to trial and sentenced to 2 years and 1 month of
imprisonment in a penal colony, until he was pardoned in September last year.